In Sickness and in Health
by moondragon23
Summary: Shawn is sick and Carlton does his best to take care of his husband. Nobody said marriage would be easy; especially not with Shawn. Sequelish to "My True Love Gave to Me."
1. Chapter 1

_I've had this nearly done on my computer forever and finally got around to finishing it. It does take place a few years after **My True Love Gave to Me** but it is not necessary to read that story first. The only two things you need to know is Shawn has a car and they have a German Shepherd named Magnum._

 _This is unbetaed, so if you notice any glaring errors please let me know._

* * *

Carlton walked through the front door of their house, surprised when Shawn wasn't there to greet him. Magnum either, though the German Shepherd acted more like Shawn's dog than his most days. They had plans to meet O'Hara and Guster for dinner soon and he had been sure Shawn would be hounding him as soon as he got through the door because he left work late. He peeked into the kitchen.

No Shawn.

He continued down the hallway and looked in the living room.

No Shawn.

The house was silent, which was unusual whenever Shawn was home. Furthermore, none of the lights were on even though it was already fairly dark outside. He would think no one was home if he hadn't seen Shawn's car in the driveway. He pulled out his gun as he crept towards the bedroom.

He peeked through the door and spotted a lump on the bed, Magnum curled up at the end even though Carlton had told Shawn a dozen times he didn't want Magnum on the furniture. Shawn must have decided to take a nap before dinner. He holstered his gun and turned on the light. As soon as he did, Magnum jumped off the bed and curled up on his pile of blankets on the floor with a sigh.

The lump of blankets on the bed groaned, curling in on itself. "Too bright," it moaned.

Sighing, Carlton turned off the lights and walked quietly over to the bed. He sat down on the edge as the blankets moved and Shawn's head poked out. "Hey," Shawn croaked. "What are you doing home?"

"It's almost seven," Carlton said.

Shawn glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. "Oh," he said, blinking slowly. He pushed down the blankets and struggled to sit up. "I guess I should get ready so we're not late."

Carlton frowned. Shawn was flushed and shaking and his eyes when he looked over at Carlton appeared glaze. Carlton stopped him from getting up and pressed the back of his hand to Shawn's forehead. He cursed when he found Shawn was burning up. "You're sick."

"No I'm not." Shawn tried to get up again but again Carlton stopped him. "Lassie, come on. We've been planning this for two weeks. We're going to be late."

"We'll reschedule," Carlton said firmly. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."

"But – "

"That's final, Shawn." Carlton pulled out his phone as Shawn huffed and dropped back down on the bed. "O'Hara? It's Lassiter."

 _"Hey Carlton. Gus and I should be at the restaurant in about twenty minutes."_

"I'm afraid we're going to have to reschedule," Carlton said, looking down at Shawn who had pulled the covers back over his head. "Shawn's sick."

 _"Oh no! I hope it isn't that flu that's been going around. Be careful that you don't catch it."_

"My immune system is more than a match for a simple bug," Carlton assured her. Besides, unlike certain fake psychic detectives, _he'd_ had his flu shot. "I'll be fine."

 _"Well, keep me updated on how Shawn is doing. We'll try to reschedule_ _for_ _next week."_ Carlton heard her talking to someone else before coming back on the line. _"Gus said to make sure he drinks plenty of fluids and try honey graham crackers with Nutella if he doesn't eat."_

Carlton glanced down at Shawn. The lump in the blankets didn't move. "I don't think he's in the mood for food but tell Guster thanks."

 _"I will. I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

Carlton hung up the phone and considered his next move. Shawn had a fever, so he needed to get him to take something to get it down. He got a glass of water from the kitchen and a bottle of aspirin from the bathroom. Sitting down on the bed again, he nudged the blankets. "Shawn. You need to sit up for a minute."

A section of blankets moved as if Shawn was shaking his head. "Don't wanna."

"You have to. It should help you feel better." He smiled at Shawn when he flipped back the blankets and held up the aspirin. "Two pills and a glass of water and then you can go back to sleep."

Shawn stared at him for a long moment before struggling to sit up. Carlton helped him take the pills but Shawn only drank half the water. "No more," he complained, pushing the glass away.

Carlton put the glass on the nightstand as Shawn curled back once more under the blankets. He was a little worried; usually Shawn put up more of a fight or attempted some kind of witty remark even when sick. Hopefully a little sleep would help. He went to stand up when a hand snaked out from under the blankets and snagged his wrist.

"Stay?" Shawn asked, blinking up at him.

He wasn't really worried about getting sick himself and if it helped Shawn rest, all the better. "Just let me change." He quickly shed his work clothes and slipped into a comfortable pair of pajama bottoms. Even so, Shawn was mostly asleep by the time he climbed into bed next to him. Shawn was hot to the touch and Carlton wasn't sure if he would want to be held right now. Shawn ended his internal debate by rolling over and curling into him.

Carlton brushed the hair back over his face. "Rest Shawn."

Shawn murmured, settling down and relaxing into sleep. Carlton watched him for a few minutes, hoping Shawn got over this bug quickly. Shawn was peaceful now but he could be tough to deal with when sick. He felt the bed shift as Magnum carefully jumped up and curled up with his head on Shawn's foot. Carlton sighed but didn't say anything, knowing the dog was just worried about Shawn too.

The quietness and coziness of cuddling with Shawn in bed soon made him sleepy and he let himself drift off, knowing he would need his energy for later.

* * *

Carlton woke with a start. He stared up at the dark bedroom ceiling, trying to figure out what had pulled him from his sleep. After a couple seconds he realized he was alone in the bed.

A soft whine from the end of the bed made him sit up. Magnum was standing there, staring towards the open bedroom door. He turned and took a few steps towards Carlton, whining, before turning back towards the door.

Something was wrong.

Carlton got up and followed Magnum out of the room and down the hallway. A light was on in the kitchen and as they drew closer he heard Shawn muttering. He entered to find Shawn searching the cabinets and holding a spatula. "Shawn? What are you doing?"

"Looking for lug nuts," Shawn said, opening the dishwasher. "Captain Morgan needs pancakes."

Worried since Shawn sounded even more nonsensical than normal, Carlton moved closer and tried to get Shawn to stay still. "Shawn, you're not making sense."

Shawn pulled from his grasp but not before Carlton felt how hot his skin was. "His parrot got married in Malibu to Sailor Jerry. Who'll make him fajitas now?" He opened the fridge and pulled out a jar of mayonnaise.

Carlton took the jar and put it back in the fridge. "Shawn, you're sick. You need to come back to bed." He took Shawn's arm and tried to lead him from the room as Magnum whined and danced around their feet.

"But what about Cap? He doesn't even know what a microwave is," Shawn complained, struggling against Carlton's hold. He smacked Carlton in the head with the spatula. "Don't make me turn you into a platypus."

"Shawn, calm down." Carlton grabbed both his arms, growing more alarmed. Shawn's skin was flushed and hot. His eyes darted around the room and were slightly glazed over. He didn't think Shawn was really aware of what he was doing.

Shawn yelled and kicked him. Carlton cursed as pain spread across his shin. "Let me go!"

"Shawn, stop it!" Carlton snapped. He struggled to keep a hold of him, wincing as Shawn kept hitting and kicking at him. He was going to be covered in bruises after this but better him than Shawn hurting himself in his delirious state.

Shawn suddenly stopped struggling and went limp. Carlton had to grab him tightly to keep him from falling to the floor. "Lassie?" He looked up at Carlton, seeming to have trouble focusing on his face even from inches away. "I don't feel so good." He moaned, then his eyes rolled back into his head as he started to convulse.

Carlton quickly lowered him to the floor on his side. He tried to keep Shawn from hurting himself and his airway open as he continued to shake. He felt helpless knowing there was nothing else he could do but wait it out. A whimper from beside him reminded Carlton their dog was still in the room. "Magnum! Phone!"

Magnum scampered away, leaving Carlton on the floor with Shawn. He let out a sigh of relief as Shawn's shaking slowed and finally stopped. "Don't worry Shawn. I'm here. I'll get you help." He took the phone from Magnum, glad for once Shawn had taught him that command in his laziness. He kept his eyes on Shawn as he dialed. "This is Chief Lassiter. I need an ambulance to my home immediately. My husband just had a seizure."


	2. Chapter 2

Carlton sat in a chair in the waiting area of Santa Barbara General, hoping Shawn's doctor came out soon with some news. Shawn had remained unconscious during the trip to the hospital. The paramedics had said Shawn's temperature was dangerously high and used ice packs and wet towels in an attempt to cool him down. As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Shawn was whisked away and Carlton was shown to the waiting area. That had been two hours ago and still Carlton hadn't received any update on Shawn's condition. His Chief's badge hadn't seemed to faze the nurse manning the desk and he was seriously wishing he had his gun so he could demand some answers.

He stood up when he saw O'Hara and Guster walking towards him. "You didn't need to come."

"Of course we did," O'Hara said, pulling him into a hug. "We care about Shawn too. Have you heard anything yet?"

"No." Carlton snapped. He ran a hand through his hair as he glared at the nurse's station. "Nurse Rached over there won't tell me anything."

"I'm sure the doctor is busy taking care of Shawn." O'Hara led him over to a chair and forced him to sit. "You need to stay calm."

"How can I be calm?" Carlton asked incredulously. "He had a fucking _seizure_ O'Hara. How could he have gotten that sick without me noticing?"

"You've been working non-stop all week," Guster said. "Shawn too. I'm the one that's been by his side. He seemed off yesterday but I thought he was just trying to get out of the stakeout." Guster wrung his hands. "I should have known something was wrong. I'm his best friend."

"And what? I'm just his _husband_ so I wouldn't have noticed?" Carlton growled, glaring at Guster.

"Stop it, both of you," O'Hara said sharply. "This is no ones fault. People get sick all the time. Shawn's strong; he'll get through it."

"You don't know that," Carlton said. He twisted the ring on his left hand. He remembered the day Shawn had put it there, how happy they both had been. He knew there would be challenges being married to Shawn but he also knew it would be worth it. This wasn't the first challenge their marriage had faced, or the first time Shawn's life had possibly been at risk, but it was the first time he was helpless to do anything about it.

"I do," O'Hara said softly. She sat down next to Carlton, Guster on her other side. She didn't say anything else, just took his hand as she waited with him for news.

It was another half hour before the doctor came out. "Chief Spencer-Lassiter?"

Carlton sighed as he stood up, O'Hara and Guster standing with him. "It's Lassiter-Spencer," he corrected, used to the odd look the doctor gave him. He should have watched more closely how Shawn was signing his name on the marriage documents but he had been too happy to consider Shawn messing things up as only he could do. "How is he?" The doctor seemed calm, so either the news was good or he was so jaded by the job he didn't care anymore.

"Shawn is resting comfortably now. His fever was at 106 when he was brought in but we were able to bring it down. Once we did, he regained consciousness. We ran some tests and so far there doesn't appear to be any permanent damage from the seizure." The doctor gave him a small smile when Carlton let out a sigh of relief. "He's dehydrated, so we're going to keep him overnight to rehydrate him and make sure his fever doesn't spike again. Hopefully he should be well enough to go home in the next day or two to finish recovering on his own."

"What's wrong with him?" Guster asked.

"A case of influenza exasperated by dehydration and exhaustion," the doctor said. "The sudden spike in his temperature is likely what caused his seizure. We'll be running a couple more tests to make sure it wasn't something more serious but with rest he should be fine."

"Can I see him?" Carlton asked.

The doctor looked at O'Hara and Guster, then back at him. "You're his partner?"

Carlton crossed his arms, prepared to fight to see his husband. Even with gay marriage being legal, he still ran across homophobic assholes who tried to deny him his rights. "I am."

The doctor simply nodded. "Just you and you can stay if you let him rest." He looked at O'Hara and Guster. "You two will have to wait until visiting hours to see him."

"It's okay." She gave Carlton a kiss on the cheek. "Let's us know if you need anything before then or anything changes. I promised to keep Mr. Spencer in the loop in so you can focus on Shawn."

"I will," Carlton promised. He watched her and Guster leave before nodding at the doctor. "Lead the way."

* * *

Shawn scratched at the IV in his arm. The nurse smacked his hand. "Stop pulling at it."

"But it itches," Shawn whined. He was hot and miserable, and besides the itching he hated that he had something pointy stuck in his arm.

"You're dehydrated. It needs to stay in." She glared at Shawn. "Don't make me restrain you."

"Only Lassie is allowed to do that," Shawn muttered but stopped picking at his arm. He cheered up when his night in polyester armor came through the door, even if he was wearing a sweatshirt and pajama pants. "Lassie, tell her only you're allowed to tie me up."

Carlton sighed, but smiled at him fondly. "How are you feeling?"

"Cranky," Nurse Kill-joy butted in. "And he keeps trying to pull out his IV."

"Traitor," Shawn muttered. "What happened to doctor/patient confidentiality?"

The nurse smirked at him. "I'm not a doctor."

"I'll make sure he keeps it in." Carlton crossed the room and sat in the chair next to the bed. "You'll be good for me, right?"

Shawn sighed. He couldn't disappoint Lassie. "I will."

"Are you staying with him?" Nurse Kill-joy asked. At Carlton's nod, she pursed her lips. "I'll get you a fold out chair _if_ you promise to let him get his rest."

"Of course," Carlton said, meeting her gaze. There was a tense moment where neither seemed to want to be the first to look away before the nurse finally nodded. "I'll be back shortly."

"You won," Shawn said cheerfully.

"It wasn't a contest," Carlton protested but Shawn could see the little curve to his lips and the proud set of his shoulders.

"Yeah, sure." Shawn sighed and slumped down in the bed, feeling tired. "They said I can't leave until at least tomorrow. Maybe longer." He pushed down the sheet, feeling too hot again.

"You're the one that had to end up in the hospital with the flu. You need to get better." Carlton grabbed a small towel from the table next to the bed and dipped it into the pitcher of water. He squeezed out the excess water and laid the blissfully cool cloth across his forehead. "How's that"

"Better." Shawn closed his eyes, trying to ignore how uncomfortable the rest of him was. "Did anyone call my dad?"

"He's got a flight back from Miami in the morning." He felt Carlton pull the sheet back up and kiss his cheek. "You should sleep now."

Shawn cracked his eyes so he could grab Carlton's hand. "I can now that you're here." He always felt safer with Lassie around.

He heard Nurse Kill-joy come back pushing something into the room. There was some shifting around next to the bed but Carlton didn't once drop his hand. Once the movement stopped, Shawn sighed and turned slightly so he was facing Carlton. He could just make out Carlton stretched out in the chair through blurry eyes. "Night Lassie."

Carlton squeezed his hand. "Night Shawn."

Shawn smiled and let himself drift off to sleep.

* * *

 _I hope you all enjoyed this. Please leave a review; even if I don't respond I promise I do read all of them._

 _I'm going to see if I can find anything else to post soon but I won't make any promises. All my energy has been going into a book I am writing (damn editing takes forever). I do hope to actually write **A Twist of Fate** but don't know if anything else will be worked on in the foreseeable future._


End file.
